John Lithgow nearly quits Harry Potter HBO series amid J.K. Rowling controversy

John Lithgow to star in Harry Potter series

• John Lithgow considered leaving HBO Max's Harry Potter series
• Lithgow disagrees with Rowling's stance but will play Dumbledore
• Actors and professionals back transgender rights in signed letter

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Actor John Lithgow has recently revealed that he has considered leaving the next Harry Potter television revival series on HBO Max. He reportedly decided following the backlash linked to author J.K. Rowling's stance on transgender issues.

During a recent interview with The New York Times, John, who will play Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the series, stated that while he does not agree with Rowling's position, he still thinks the Harry Potter books are "against intolerance and bigotry."

John reportedly considered leaving the film before deciding to proceed after being "stung" by the intense internet backlash following the announcement of his involvement. He also admitted that Rowling's opinions would continue to come up in his public life.

The actor said, "It will come up in every interview I will ever do for the rest of my life."

Reactions to the actor's participation in the franchise have been conflicting. Lithgow was praised as "a beautiful human" by transgender actor Aud Mason-Hyde, who co-starred with him in the movie Jimpa. However, Mason-Hyde acknowledged that she found Lithgow's decision to join the Harry Potter series "disconcerting" and "vaguely hurtful," according to Variety.

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It's not just Lithgow who has distanced himself from Rowling's beliefs. Variety reports that hundreds of business professionals, including actor Paapa Essiedu, who will play Severus Snape in the reboot, signed an open letter supporting transgender rights and pleading with organisations like BAFTA, the BBC, BFI, and Channel 4 to guarantee the inclusion and protection of transgender people.

In June 2020, Rowling faced criticism for seemingly endorsing anti-transgender beliefs in a slew of tweets. Since then, she has frequently discussed the transgender community. Over the years, a number of Harry Potter movie stars, including Daniel Radcliffe, have criticised the author, according to People.

The HBO Max Harry Potter series is currently in development.